The COVID-19 pandemic re-raised the subject of vaccines and their importance for public health. Given the number of employees, one of the key environments in which vaccination should be promoted is ...the workplace.
An original, anonymous and voluntary questionnaire with 13 questions regarding health behaviors of employees in Poland was distributed through HR departments of the companies invited to the research (Computer-Assisted Web Interview - CAWI technique) This publication presents the results of answers to the 3 chosen questions concerning: health issues related to work, interest in health promoting initiatives and following recommendations for physical activity.
According to the research presented in this article, 39% of employees in Poland were interested in vaccination against COVID-19. The most popular preventive initiatives are still healthy eating and sport activities. The government allowed organizing vaccinations at the workplace, which gives new opportunities but also obligations and risks. Overall, the potential of a workplace in fighting the coronavirus seems to be used to a very small extent. This carries the need to consult systemic solutions with representatives of employers and occupational medicine practitioners as well as the government.
The workplace should be one of the key habitats for health promoting activities, including vaccinations. The above-mentioned issue should still be the subject of research for solutions tailored to the needs and capabilities of each group (employers, occupational medicine professionals and government). One of the circumstances of promoting the health of employees should be preventive examinations of employees - a doctor's visit and contact with an occupational medicine nurse. The potential of preventive employee examinations in this area seems to be unused and limited. The level of immunization of employees has an obvious impact on the state of the economy. In view of the voluntary vaccination against COVID-19, this requires educational campaigns aimed at both employees and employers. Med Pr. 2021;72(6):653-9.
Emotional eating is a factor associated with a negative body image and other problematic eating behaviours. In this context little is known about differences between individuals with overweight and ...obesity and those with normal body weight. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the role of emotional eating in the relationship between the desire to consume chocolate and the wish to avoid social situations related to food and body exposures. For this purpose, we tested the direct, indirect and buffer effects. In addition, we used moderated mediation by introducing snacking into the model.
The study included 123 outpatients with excessive body weight and 123 individuals with normal weight. The mean of body mass index (BMI) in the first group was 30.19 kg/m
(SD = 4.37) and, in the second, it was 23.02 kg/m
(SD = 1.20). The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, the Attitudes to Chocolate Questionnaire and the Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire were used.
Results show that in all individuals, the greater emotional eating is, the greater the desire for chocolate consumption and avoidance of social situations related to food and body exposures are. In addition, the desire for chocolate consumption are positively associated with avoidance of social situations related to food and body exposures in both group. Among individuals with excessive and normal body weight, emotional eating is a significant mediator in the relationship between desire for chocolate consumption and avoidance of social situations related to food and body exposures. However, it does not moderate the relationship between these variables. Outcomes show that there is a significant model of moderated mediation of the link between social situation-avoidance related to food and body exposure and the desire to consume chocolate through emotional eating, moderated by snacking among individuals with normal body weight. A similar effect has not been discovered in the group with excessive body weight.
The presented results show that among people with varied BMI categories, emotional eating is connected to craving chocolate and avoidance of social situations related to food and body exposure that plays only the role of mediation. In addition, snacking is crucial for this relationship among the group with normal body weight.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Homes for the elderly and care facilities are not only a place of treatment, but also a place of permanent residence for older people. It is assumed that older adults' quality of life in the centres ...may not be sufficient for their long well-being. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of quality of life among nursing home residents in Poland and Germany and the impact of disability on functioning in their major life domains.
This study was carried out using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire (abridged version) on 1000 people-500 residents of the centre in Poland and 500 residents in Germany.
The quality of life of Polish and German residents is at an average level and is closely related to their degree of independence. People with greater independence assessed their quality of life higher.
The degree of disability affects one's own health and the quality of life of the residents. Therefore, to improve older adults' quality of life, certain steps should be taken, including supporting them in maintaining their health and independence on a daily basis.
High prevalence of hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia requires searching for efficient and cost-effective methods of an early detection of these disorders. In Poland, obligatory employee medical ...check-ups could be a solution.
The study included a group of university employees who underwent obligatory occupational examinations in 2018. Each employee had an additional lipid (unit cost: EUR 2.56) and blood glucose profile (EUR 0.93) done. The number of respondents involved in the study was 850 (340 males and 510 females), and their average age was 47 years (SD = 11 years). The education distribution was as follows: employees with secondary vocational and general education (physical, frontline and administrative workers): 176 (age: M±SD 50.3±10.3); employees with a university degree (academics with an M.Sc. or/and Ph.D. title and administrative staff): 535 (age: M±SD 43.6±9.8); and academics with a university title (Ass. Prof. and/or Prof.): 139 (age: M±SD 56.2±10.2).
Dyslipidemia (elevated total cholesterol ≥190 mg/dl and/or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥115 mg/dl) was reported in 560 workers (65.9%). Hyperglycemia (fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dl) was observed in 256 workers (31%). The total cost of detecting a single case of dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia was EUR 3.88 and EUR 3.09, respectively. Divided by age groups, the costs were as follows: EUR 4.34 and EUR 4.53 in the age group <45 years; EUR 3.56 and EUR 2.42 in the age group ≥45 years. The costs of detecting a single case of dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia in employees aged ≥45 with regard to education were as follows: EUR 3.20 and EUR 2.07 in persons with secondary vocational and general education; EUR 3.40 and EUR 2.80 in persons with a university degree; and EUR 4.38 and EUR 2.28 in persons with a university title.
Due to the fact that the reporting rate for screening tests in the framework of occupational medicine is high, the cost of occupational screening tests for dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia can be lower than the cost of screening tests in the general population.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The effective management of diabetes is a complex issue and may be determined according to numerous patient-dependent and patient-independent factors. This study aimed to analyze the relationship ...between the place of residence and selected sociodemographic, psychological and diabetes-related parameters in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). This study was conducted on 419 adults with T1D using nonprobability sampling. The following questionnaires were used: the Diabetes Dietary Guidelines Adherence Index, the Acceptance of Illness Scale, the Sense of Responsibility for Health Scale, the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised scale, the Eating Attitudes Test and questions on sociodemographic and diabetes-related parameters. People living in rural areas were characterized by a significantly lower age and level of education, a higher incidence of being overweight, a higher glycated hemoglobin concentration, a lower number of glucose measurements during the day and a higher level of acceptance of the disease compared to urban residents. The degree of adherence to dietary recommendations and the sense of responsibility for one's own health were significantly higher among urban residents. It is necessary to assess barriers to a proper diet and to increase the effectiveness in managing the disease in rural communities. Targeted actions promoting the health of type 1 diabetics need to be developed with particular emphasis on patients from rural areas.
Sickness presence is used to denote an employee who feels unwell but still attends work, thus avoiding absence. The intention of this paper is to compare sickness presence in a group of the following ...professions: teachers, nurses and private sector office workers.
For the purpose of this study, a survey based on the original PAPI form (
) was carried out. Non-probability sampling, the snowball method (N = 507: teachers
= 174, nurses
= 165 and private sector office workers
= 168), covering the whole of Poland, was adopted. Non-parametric hypotheses were verified using the chi-squared test with a statistical significance α = 0.05.
Compared to nurses and private sector office workers, teachers more frequently attended work when sick (
< 0.05). Out of the reported ailments that respondents worked with, teachers more often indicated rhinitis (
< 0.05), sore throat and cough (
< 0.05) and increased temperature (
< 0.05). This may be associated with a threat to the health of individuals in their charge. Teachers commonly complained about joint and bone pain (
< 0.05) and gastrointestinal disorders (
< 0.05). Contrary to nurses and private sector office workers, teachers did not point to 'lack of a replacement' as the reason for their presence at work when sick (
< 0.05). Exclusively, teachers added financial issues and difficulties in access to healthcare if they are working fewer hours to the list of reasons for attending work when sick.
Results suggest that there is a need for further studies on the presence of sick employees in the workplace, especially for teachers. The sickness presence of teachers and nurses may be a threat from a public health perspective. The workplace itself is a significant place to prevent many diseases.
Cardiovascular diseases are associated with growing public and private expenditure on healthcare regardless geographic region. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately estimate the overall societal ...costs-both direct and indirect expenses from the perspective of patients, caregivers and employers.
The aim of this paper is to determine the direct and indirect costs related to cardiovascular diseases in Poland from 2015 to 2017. All costs are estimated based on data available in the public domain and obtained from the major Polish institutions. Indirect costs were calculated using a modified human capital approach.
The financial burden of cardiovascular diseases in Poland is significant. This study revealed that total costs (direct and indirect) of cardiovascular diseases, for 2015-2017, range from 34.9 bn PLN (8.2 bn EUR) to over 40.9 bn PLN (9.6 bn EUR). Total direct cost and indirect costs were approximately 6.1 bn PLN (1.4 bn EUR) (16%) and 31.3 bn PLN (7.3 bn EUR) (84%), respectively.
Collectively, the estimated direct and indirect cost of cardiovascular diseases provide a useful input for economic impact assessments of public health programs and health technology analyses.
Ability to work is most often defined as a relationship between a person's resources and requirements specific to a particular type of work. It is the result of interaction between job requirements ...in terms of physical and mental strain, capabilities and skills of the employee, as well as his/her health condition and own evaluation of functioning in a given organizational and social situation.
The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the current value of the Work Ability Index (WAI) in a sample of employees in Poland.
The study sample was selected purposefully from 422,000 employees covered by the largest occupational health provider in Poland. The standard WAI questionnaire provided by CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) methodology was voluntary and completed anonymously by 688 employees within 12 months (0.16% response rate). The results were statistically analyzed using the Pearson's chi-squared test and correlation coefficient, independent-sample T test and one-way analysis of variance (p<0.05).
It was found that the average value of WAI was 37.5 ± 7.7, and 37% of the participants represented low to moderate ability to work. The results showed no significant correlation between the WAI value and its 7 compounds and demographic variables. Nonetheless, a dependency between WAI level and industrial branch was observed.
Subjects with moderate and low WAI (1/3 of the study population) had particular indications to implement prophylactic actions, especially for the health care employees and civil servants, whose ability to work may be subject to accelerated deterioration.
Long-term exposure to hypercholesterolemia is the cause of atherosclerosis, which in turn causes cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. In developed countries, including Poland, vascular diseases ...are the main cause of death. They affect an ever younger part of the population, including the working population. The authors address the problem of epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases, unsatisfactory detection and treatment, economic consequences for the health care system, and the possibilities of using occupational medicine services in the prevention of this health problem. Due to the fact that the early detection of diseases caused by high blood cholesterol levels is relatively low in Poland, obligatory occupational medicine examinations seem to be a key element of the second-line prevention. Therefore, it seems natural to consider the idea of extending the scope of obligatory examinations and introducing tests that allow lipid disorders to be detected at an early stage. This can contribute to a general improvement of the health of the population, and to economic benefits, such as a decrease in the costs of treatment of the disorders that have been detected too late. Broadening the scope of occupational examinations is also important from the perspective of public health and epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases, thus being an element of prevention of civilization diseases. It means improving health and building health awareness, and it should translate into regular health examinations. The performance of these examinations should result not only from the obligation, but also from the patient's conviction about the importance of early detection of disorders, including lipid disorders, for an effective therapy. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(6):865-72.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background and Objectives: In Poland, the rates of morbidity and mortality due to cervical cancer are amongst the highest in Europe. A significant percentage of newly diagnosed cases of cervical ...cancer are at an advanced stage. Unfortunately, only about 20% of Polish women take part in cervical cancer screening. The aim of the study was to assess students’ knowledge of cervical cancer risk factors and prevention. Materials and Methods: The study was provided to Polish students from various universities and faculties between May 2020 and November 2020. The questionnaire was designed specifically for this study and was validated. The chi-square test was used to compare the responses between subgroups. Results: The study was carried out on a group of 995 students (80.6% women, 19% men, 0.4% no data), (average age 21.9 years). Most students knew that the main risk factor for cervical cancer is human papillomavirus (HPV) infection (82% of all responders; 86% of medical students; 73% of non-medical students; p < 0.001). Only 40% of students knew that in Poland the Population Prevention and Early Diagnosis Program is carried out on women aged 25–59 years every three years. Most students correctly indicated that cervical cancer screening in Poland is performed using cervical cytology and were familiar with the basis of cytology. Only 57% of students knew that there are no specific early symptoms of cervical cancer. A total of 78% of all respondents knew that HPV vaccination reduces the risk of cervical cancer. Medical students and students who are sexually active demonstrated a better knowledge of cervical cancer. Conclusions: The Polish students had some knowledge of cervical cancer risk factors and primary and secondary prevention. Significantly better knowledge was demonstrated by medical students. Some efforts should be made to ensure that young people, who are not associated with medicine are better educated about cervical cancer in order to reduce the overall incidence and improve early detection rates.
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